Baseball/softball batting technique trainer

ABSTRACT

The invention disclosed herein relates to a device that teaches baseball batting by requiring a hitter to keep his or her head down and eyes focused on the hitting zone and tacking the ball in the hitting zone during the swing.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention disclosed herein relates to equipment for teaching batting skills. In some embodiments, the invention relates to a device for teaching players how to bat at a baseball and, in particular, how to keep their eyes focused on the ball as the ball moves through the hitting zone.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Sports such as baseball and softball involve hitting a ball with a bat. Being proficient at hitting a baseball and a softball requires practice. Many different types of training devices have been developed over the years to help players become more skilled at hitting. The most common practice device presently used for hitting practice is a hitting tee of the type that has a stationary stand on which the baseball or softball sits. The height of the hitting tee, and thus the ball when it is on the hitting tee, is usually adjustable.

While this type of hitting tee is generally easy to use and enables the hitter to hit balls that are unaltered, it has several drawbacks. For example, because the ball is resting on top of the tee, a hitter necessarily must hit the tee when hitting the bottom half of the ball, which is required to obtain an upward ball trajectory. To avoid striking the tee, the hitter may have a tendency to hit less desirable areas of the ball, such as the middle or upper half of the ball, thereby engraining bad swing habits.

Some other training devices for hitting include a ball suspended from a tether. In most instances, the ball is fixed to the tether in a way that the ball remains attached to the tether after the ball is hit. As such, the hitter is at risk of being hit by the ball as it swings around the support structure. In addition, the hitter is unable to determine if the ball was struck properly because the hitter is unable to observe the flight of the ball.

Attempts have been made to create practice hitting tee that overcomes the problems discussed above. For example, practice hitting devices have been suggested that include a ball removably secured to the end of a structure or line from which it is suspended. The ball releases from the line when the user strikes the ball with enough force to break the elements holding the ball in place. However, with such devices, the ball is required to be altered relative to regulation balls in way that allows the ball to be releasably attached to the tether. By requiring an altered ball, the hitter again does not get realistic feedback on the flight of a type of ball that will be used in a game situation. Moreover, a hitter will be required to purchase a significant number of the altered balls to practice efficiently and effectively.

U.S. Publication No. 2009/0082140 discloses a batting apparatus that employs a suction cup suspended from a tether. The suction cup is configured such that it only temporarily supports a baseball or softball due to the porous nature of the covers of baseballs and softballs. As such, a hitter must quickly ready himself to strike the ball after attaching the suction cup to the ball. In addition, the hitter must face the risk of injury due to the tether spinning around the support structure. Alternatively, the hitter can wait until the ball drops from the suction cup. In the case of the latter, the ball is moving downwardly and is not covered in any way that would train a hitter to strike preferred areas of the ball.

The disadvantages of the prior practices are numerous and obvious. The trainer loses control of the ball when it leaves his hand. The trainee has an extremely brief time to react to the ball, frequently missing the ball entirely. The missed ball must then be retrieved, and the trainer and trainee must then resume their positions before the lesson can be repeated. This method of training is highly inefficient in the use of time and the speed at which the trainee learns.

Hitting a baseball requires several important skills. One of these skills is for batters to keep their eyes focused on the ball as the ball approaches the plate. This helps the batter make contact with the ball when he swings the bat while the ball is in the hitting zone. Unfortunately, it is difficult for coaches to determine if batters are keeping their eyes on the ball as it travels toward the hitting zone.

When a new player begins to learn how to play a ball game such as baseball, one of the fundamental requirements is to learn how to hit and a ball. In past batting practice, the trainer would toss the ball to the trainee and issue verbal instructions such as “swing” or “keep your eye on the ball.” To a new student, the proper way to execute these instructions would not be immediately clear and a long, iterative process would ensue. Other methods of presenting a ball to a trainee include hanging a ball by a string, placing a ball on a support, or ejecting a ball from a machine. Some trainees may master these instructions quickly but in the vast majority of cases the learning process continues for an extended period, occasionally extending to months or more to achieve acceptable mastery. What is needed is a way to present the ball to the trainee in such a manner that the instructions can be given in complete sentences and at such a speed that the trainer can utter them and the trainee can comprehend them, while at the same time attempting to hit the ball.

One of the main issues with teaching or correcting a swing is teaching the batter not to move his head, and therefore his eye contact with the ball, before the ball is hit by the bat. To this end, a need exists for practice hitting tee that efficiently allows a hitter to practice hitting an unaltered ball with a bat in a way that the practice hitting tee safely encourages a batter to keep focused on the ball as it moves through the hitting zone.

While there are devices and methods, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,248,349, for teaching a baseball player to keep their eyes focused on a ball during fielding; the inventors are not aware of any device which properly and efficiently teach a batter to maintain their eyes focused and their head properly oriented during hitting.

It is an object of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein to provide such a device.

Accordingly, it is an object of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein to provide a method for improving the ability of batters to focus their eyesight on the ball. It is also an object of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein to provide a training kit designed specifically for training baseball batters to keep their eyes focused on the ball as it travels toward the hitting zone.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

These, and other, objects are achieved by a device that teaches baseball batting by requiring the hitter to keep their head down and their eyes focused on the hitting zone and tacking the ball in the hitting zone during the swing.

The intention disclosed herein is drawn to a baseball/softball batting tee for teaching a batter to keep his or her head down and eyes focused on the ball while hitting. In some embodiments, the baseball/softball batting tee includes a base, a vertical support post, a U-shaped opening mounted to an upper end thereof, the U-shaped opening defined by opposing side walls and a bottom wall, and a rotatable ball support assembly rotationally mounted on an axle extending from one side wall of the U-shaped opening to the other, wherein the rotatable ball support assembly comprises a plurality of distinct ball-supporting sections each adapted to support a baseball.

In some embodiments, each of the ball-supporting sections has a top surface having an indentation to support a baseball or softball, wherein the indentation has a substantially flat bottom. In some embodiments, each of the ball-supporting sections has a top surface having an indentation to support a baseball or softball, wherein the indentation has a substantially curved bottom.

In some embodiments, each substantially flat or curved bottom of each ball-supporting section or side comprises a different sticker or paint design. In some embodiments, the different sticker or paint designs comprise different colors, different numbers, different letters, different shapes, or different animals.

In some embodiments, the U-shaped opening further comprises one or more tensioners on at least one side wall. In some embodiments, the one or more tensioners are on at least one interior side wall of the U-shaped opening. In some embodiments, the one or more tensioners are capable of being adjusted to control how freely the rotatable ball support assembly rotates or spins.

In some embodiments, the rotatable ball support assembly further comprises tensioners. In some embodiments, the rotatable ball support assembly comprises tensioners on the one or more sides of the rotatable ball support assembly corresponding to the location of the one or more tensioners on the at least one side wall of the U-shaped opening. For example, in some embodiments, the one or more tensioners on the at least one side wall of the U-shaped opening are magnets and one or more tensioners on the one or more sides of the rotatable ball support assembly are metal.

In some embodiments, the tee disclosed herein includes one or more tensioners on the at least one side wall of the U-shaped opening, for example, but not limited to, two magnets on each side wall. In some embodiments, the tee further includes one or more tensioners on the one or more sides of the rotatable ball support assembly, for example, but not limited to, a metal piece on each ball supporting section corresponding to the location of the magnets on the side walls of the U-shaped opening.

In some embodiments, the tee disclosed herein further includes a wrap around the U-shaped opening.

In some embodiments, the tee disclosed herein includes a support post that has telescoping vertical supports mounted on the base. In some embodiments, the telescoping vertical supports are configured to adjust the height of the support in accordance with the height of a batter. In some embodiments, the support post comprises a lower threaded vertical support that is secured to the base by a threaded base member.

Some embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are drawn to a method for training baseball/softball batter to keep their eye on the ball, the method including mounting a baseball or softball on the tee of claim 1, having a hitter hit the baseball or softball with a baseball/softball bat, wherein hitting the ball causes the rotatable ball support assembly to spin, having the hitter call out the distinct ball-supporting section of the rotatable ball support assembly that is visible after the rotatable ball support assembly stops spinning, wherein calling out the distinct ball-supporting section of the rotatable ball support assembly trains the baseball/softball batter to keep his or her eyes focused on the baseball or softball while swinging.

Some embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are drawn to a baseball/softball training kit including a baseball or softball tee as described herein and a ball. In some embodiments, the kit further includes a baseball or softball bat. In some embodiments, the ball and/or bat is plastic or foam. In some embodiments, the ball is a regulation baseball or softball.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a breakaway view of a rotating ball support having four different ball supports and configured to be rotationally mounted on an axle.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a rotating ball support having four different ball supports and configured to be rotationally mounted on an axle and a U-shaped opening with an axle extending from one side wall to the other and tensioners on the side walls.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the top of a hitting device showing a rotating ball support having four different ball supports rotationally mounted on an axle within a U-shaped opening having tensioners on the side walls. The rotating ball support is shown in a squared-up position, ready to support a ball.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the top of a hitting device showing a rotating ball support having four different ball supports rotationally mounted on an axle within a U-shaped opening having tensioners on the side walls. The rotating ball support is shown in a spinning or rotated position showing distinct ball support surfaces.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the top of a hitting device showing a rotating ball support having four different ball supports rotationally mounted on an axle within a U-shaped opening inside of a tee wrap. The rotating ball support is shown in a squared-up position, ready to support a ball.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the top of a hitting device showing a rotating ball support having four different ball supports rotationally mounted on an axle within a U-shaped opening inside of a tee wrap. The rotating ball support is shown in a squared-up position with a ball mounted.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a hitting device showing a rotating ball support having four different ball supports rotationally mounted on an axle within a U-shaped opening inside of a tee wrap. The rotating ball support is shown in a squared-up position ready. To support a. ball. The top of the device is supported by a stand and a base.

DETAILS OF INVENTION

Referring to the figures, it can be understood that the invention disclosed herein relates to a device for teaching baseball hitting by encouraging the batter to keep his or her head down.

The invention disclosed herein includes a rotating ball support assembly 50 (FIG. 1) that includes a plurality of distinct ball-supporting sides 52, 54, 56 and 58. Each ball-supporting side 52, 54, 56 and 58 has a flat (FIG. 1) or curved (FIGS. 2-5) inset designed to support a baseball 59 thereon as indicated in FIG. 6. Each ball-supporting side 52, 54, 56, or 58 has a visually distinctive feature from the other ball supporting sides (FIG. 2). For example, each ball supporting side 52, 54, 56, or 58 is a different/distinct color, and/or different letter, and/or different number, and/or different shape, and/or different animal, or the like.

In use a baseball 59 is placed on a distinct ball-supporting side 52, 54, 56, or 58 of the rotating ball support assembly 50 as indicated in FIG. 6, and a hitter hits the baseball 59 off the rotating ball support assembly 50. When struck, the movement of the baseball 59 causes the rotating ball support assembly 50 to spin about the axle 40 (FIGS. 2-4) stopping with a single distinct ball-supporting side 52, 54, 56 or 58 facing up. As soon as the rotating ball support assembly 50 stops spinning and a single, distinct ball-supporting side 52, 54, 56, or 58 is facing up, the hitter calls out the distinctive feature, e.g., color and/or number and/or shape and/or letter and/or number and or letter and/or animal, of ball-supporting side 52, 54, 56 or 58 that is facing up. This requires the hitter to keep his or her eyes on the ball during the swing and thus teaches the batter to keep his or her head down and eyes focused in the proper manner.

In some embodiments, one or more tensioners 60 on side walls 32 and/or 34 are set to adjust how freely the rotating ball support 50 rotates after the ball being struck. The one or more tensioners can be, for example, but not limited to, magnets, rubber, plastic, cloth, felt, metal, or the like. In some embodiments, one or more corresponding units 62 are included on ball support assembly 50, such that the interaction of the tensioners 60 on side walls 32 and/or 34 and the corresponding units 62 on the ball support assembly interact during rotation of the ball support assembly 50 to control the speed of rotation and ensure the rotating ball support assembly 50 stops with a single distinct ball-supporting side 52, 54, 56 or 58 faces up when the ball support assembly stops rotating. In some embodiments, the one-or more tensioners ensure that the ball support assembly does not stop rotating with an edge between ball-supporting side 52, 54, 56 or 58 on top.

In some embodiments, the one or more tensioners 60 are adjusted to allow for 10 or more rotations after the ball being struck before stopping with one distinct ball supporting side 52, 54, 56, or 58 facing up. In some embodiments, the one or more tensioners 60 are adjusted to allow for fewer than 10 rotations after the ball is struck. In some embodiments, the one or more tensioners 60 are adjusted to allow for about 5 rotations. After the ball is struck. In some embodiments, the one or more tensioners 60 are adjusted to allow for 1-4, 2-3, 5-6, 7-8, or 9-10 rotations after the ball is struck. In some embodiments, the rotation is set for a random number.

As shown in FIGS. 2-4, embodiments of the device disclosed herein have a U-shaped opening 30 defined on top 24. The U-shaped opening 30 is defined by spaced-apart side walls 32 and 34. An axle 40 extends from one side wall to the other. The rotating ball support assembly 50 is rotationally mounted on axle 40.

In some embodiments, the device disclosed herein further includes a wrap 62 around U-shaped opening 30 and the rotating ball support assembly 50 as shown in FIGS. 5-7.

As show in FIG. 7, device 10 includes a stand 20 which has a height as measured between bottom/base 22 and top 24 which is appropriate for teaching hitting. In some embodiments, stand 20 is adjustable and/or capable of being adjusted according to the height of the batter. For example, in some embodiments, stand 20 is a telescoping stand.

The device disclosed herein can be made of were made of any materials capable of withstanding inadvertent impacts by a bat while supporting the weight of a softball or hardball during the execution of a batting swing. For example, rubber and/or plastic, such as tubular rubber or vinyl plastic, and metal cam be used. Synthetic plastic polymer, such as Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) can also be used. Other materials such as aluminum, polyethylene or polypropylene may be used.

It is understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts described and shown.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

Those of skill in the art understand that the figures provided herein show one embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, a substantially cube embodiment of the rotating ball assembly in a U-shaped opening, and recognize that the rotating ball assembly and support can be adapted to any size or shape according to the principles disclosed herein.

While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointed out novel features of the development as applied to various embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the development. As will be recognized, the present development may be embodied within a form that does not provide all of the features and benefits set forth herein, as some features may be used or practiced separately from others. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

The foregoing description details certain embodiments of the systems, devices, and methods disclosed herein. It will be appreciated, however, that no matter how detailed the foregoing appears in text, the systems, devices, and methods may be practiced in many ways. As is also stated above, it should be noted that the use of particular terminology when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being re-defined herein to be restricted to including any specific characteristics of the features or aspects of the technology with which that terminology is associated.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the described technology. Such modifications and changes are intended to fall within the scope of the embodiments. It will also be appreciated by those of skill in the art that parts included in one embodiment are interchangeable with other embodiments; one or more parts from a depicted embodiment may be included with other depicted embodiments in any combination. For example, any of the various components described herein and/or depicted in the Figures may be combined, interchanged or excluded from other embodiments.

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art may translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”

The term “comprising” as used herein is synonymous with “including,” “containing,” or “characterized by,” and is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.

The above description discloses several methods of manufacture and materials of the present development. This development is susceptible to modifications in the methods and materials, as well as alterations in the fabrication methods and equipment. Such modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of this disclosure or practice of the development disclosed herein. Consequently, it is not intended that this development be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but that it cover all modifications and alternatives coming within the true scope and spirit of the development as embodied in the attached claims.

While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointed out novel features of the improvements as applied to various embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the device or process illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. As will be recognized, the present invention may be embodied within a form that does not provide all of the features and benefits set forth herein, as some features may be used or practiced separately from others. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A baseball/softball batting tee comprising: a base; a support post; a U-shaped opening mounted to an upper end thereof, said U-shaped opening defined by opposing side walls and a bottom wall; and a rotatable ball support assembly rotationally mounted on an axle extending from one side wall of the U-shaped opening to the other; wherein the rotatable ball support assembly comprises a plurality of distinct ball-supporting sections each adapted to support a baseball.
 2. The baseball/softball tee of claim 1, wherein each ball-supporting section has a top surface having an indentation with a substantially flat bottom.
 3. The baseball/softball tee of claim 1, wherein each ball-supporting section has a top surface having an indentation with a substantially curved bottom.
 4. The baseball/softball tee of claim 1 or 2, wherein each substantially curved bottom comprises a different sticker or paint design.
 5. The baseball/softball tee of claim 4, wherein the different sticker or paint designs comprise different colors, different numbers, different letters, different shapes, or different animals.
 6. The baseball/softball tee of claim 1, wherein the U-shaped opening further comprises one or more tensioners on at least one side wall.
 7. The baseball/softball tee of claim 6, wherein the one or more tensioners are on at least one interior side wall of the U-shaped opening.
 8. The baseball/softball tee of claim 6, wherein the rotatable ball support assembly further comprises tensioners on the one or more sides of the rotatable ball support assembly corresponding to the location of the one or more tensioners on the at least one side wall of the U-shaped opening.
 9. The baseball/softball tee of claim 8, wherein the one or more tensioners on the at least one side wall of the U-shaped opening are magnets and one or more tensioners on the one or more sides of the rotatable ball support assembly are metal.
 10. The baseball/softball tee of claim 9, wherein the one or more tensioners on the at least one side wall of the U-shaped opening comprise two magnets on each side wall and the one or more tensioners on the one or more sides of the rotatable ball support assembly comprise four metal pieces, one on each ball supporting section corresponding to the location of the magnets on the side walls of the U-shaped opening.
 11. The baseball/softball tee of claim 6, wherein the one or more tensioners are capable of being adjusted to control how freely the rotatable ball support assembly rotates or spins.
 12. The baseball/softball tee of claim 1, wherein the tee further comprises a wrap around the U-shaped opening.
 13. The baseball/softball tee of claim 1, wherein the support post comprises telescoping vertical supports mounted on the base.
 14. The baseball/softball tee of claim 13, wherein the telescoping vertical supports are configured to adjust the height of the support in accordance with the height of a batter.
 15. The baseball/softball tee of claim 1, wherein the support post comprises a lower threaded vertical support that is secured to the base by a threaded base member.
 16. A method for training baseball/softball batter to keep their eye on the ball, said method comprising: mounting a baseball or softball on the tee of claim 1; having a hitter hit the baseball or softball with a baseball/softball bat, wherein hitting the ball causes the rotatable ball support assembly to spin; having the hitter call out the distinct ball-supporting section of the rotatable ball support assembly that is visible after the rotatable ball support assembly stops spinning; wherein calling out the distinct ball-supporting section of the rotatable ball support assembly trains the baseball/softball batter to keep his or her eyes focused on the baseball or softball while swinging.
 17. A baseball/softball training kit comprising the baseball or softball tee of claim 1 and a ball.
 18. The baseball/softball training kit of claim 17, further comprising a baseball or softball bat.
 19. The baseball/softball training kit of claim 17, wherein the ball is plastic or foam.
 20. The baseball/softball training kit of claim 17, wherein the ball is a regulation baseball or softball. 